nce, we read these words on a drunkard: "Thou art as a
sanctuary without a divinity, as a house without bread," and
further: "How carefully should men avoid beer (hek)." A number of
passages in the Papyrus denounce drunkards.]

The women were carried home in gay litters by slaves with torches; and
only the highest military commanders, the Persian ambassadors and a
few officials, especial friends of Amasis, remained behind. These
were retained by the master of the ceremonies, and conducted to a
richly-ornamented saloon, where a gigantic wine-bowl standing on a table
adorned in the Greek fashion, invited to a drinking-bout.

Amasis was seated on a high arm-chair at the head of the table; at his
left the youthful Bartja, at his right the aged Croesus. Besides these
and the other Persians, Theodorus and Ibykus, the friends of Polykrates,
already known to us, and Aristomachus, now commander of the Greek
body-guard, were among the king's guests.

Amasis, whom we have just heard in such grave discourse with Croesus,
now indulged in jest and satire. He seemed once more the wild officer,
the bold reveller of the olden days.

His sparkling, clever jokes, at times playful, at times scornful, flew
round among the revellers. The guests responded in loud, perhaps often
artificial laughter, to their king's jokes, goblet after goblet was
emptied, and the rejoicings had reached their highest point, when
suddenly the master of the ceremonies appeared, bearing a small gilded
mummy; and displaying it to the gaze of the assembly, exclaimed. "Drink,
jest, and be merry, for all too soon ye shall become like unto this!"

[Wilkinson gives drawings of these mummies (II. 410.) hundreds of
which were placed in the tombs, and have been preserved to us.
Lucian was present at a banquet, when they were handed round. The
Greeks seem to have adopted this custom, but with their usual talent
for beautifying all they touched, substituted a winged figure of
death for the mummy. Maxims similar to the following one are by no
means rare. "Cast off all care; be mindful only of pleasure until
the day cometh when then must depart on the journey, whose goal is
the realm of silence!" Copied from the tomb of Neferhotep to
Abd-el-Qurnah.]

"Is it your custom thus to introduce death at all your banquets?" said
Bartja, becoming serious, "or is this only a jest devised for to-day by
your master of the ceremonies?"

"Since t